Happy ending pending
by GreatMarta
Summary: While their son is in coma, Valka and Stoick have to bring about Viking-dragon integration. Interquel to "Hiccup at large". Basically "How to start a Dragon Academy" with Valka instead of Hiccup. [repost from AO3] [2nd in "Hiccup at large" series] I encourage you to read "Hiccup at large" to better understand the context, but this isn't a must.
1. Chapter 1

Dear Hiccup.

The laeknir allowed us to take you home today. We hope you will heal better here, in the surrounding you know. It will certainly be easier for us, knowing you are near.

You won't be able to walk the stairs for quite some time, so your father moved your bed down. I hope you don't mind, but we filled it with hay. It's more practical than cloth, since it can be thrown away once it's used.

Gobber is responsible for changing your clothes and washing you. I wouldn't mind doing this myself, but I suppose you would. You are almost a man now. Too old to have your mother change your pants.

We feed you water and honey, so you won't starve. It's not much, and you seem to be getting paler and more fragile with each day you spend in bed. Part of me hopes you will wake up soon, and begin to eat on your own. But I also think of how much pain you will be in when that happens, and it breaks my heart. At the end of the day I hope that everything you see when you do open your eyes will give you the strength to endure the healing.

Toothless sleeps by your bedside and becomes suspicious when the secondary laeknir comes by to check on you. Your friends visit every day and tell you news from the village. There is much to talk about. We are living in quite a chaos, but that's okay. It's not every day that a whole new era in history begins.

Following the death of the evil Queen, the King returned to the Sanctuary. Some of the dragons from the Nest followed him, but most stayed here. They are inspecting Berk right now – without having to fear for their lives. The people are still wary around them, but not outright aggressive. They see that it is not bloodthirsty beasts they're dealing with, but intelligent, gentle creatures. Creatures whose actions are motivated by curiosity, and not malice. And so the first, shy attempts at petting, feeding and getting near dragons are made. The mutual curiosity is strong. Which augurs well for the future.

Oh, Hiccup. The world around us is so beautiful right now. I just can't wait to show it to you.

(…)

"Hey! Let it go!"

"It's my bread, you filthy beast!"

"My cabbages!"

Two overjoyed Gronckles knocking off a cart. A woman yelling at a Terrible Terror trying to tear a piece of bread from her hands. A whole flock of Terrible Terrors flying by, carrying various items from somebody's laundry. A Deadly Nadder chasing a flock of sheep, some of which are on fire. Dragon poop falling from the sky. All of this and more welcomes Valka as she takes a stroll down the village.

"Something tells me I will be sleeping with you tonight, Cloudjumper," she tells her loyal dragon. He gives a sympathetic purr in response.

(…)

Valka's worries increase when she finds her husband surrounded by a crowd of complaining villagers.

"They are beasts! Unpredictable!" yelled an elderly Viking by the name of Mildew, waving his stick in front of Stoick. "We got used to them stealing our cattle, but now we cannot make a step without stepping on a dragon's tail! In our very own houses! It's worse than it was before!"

The crowd erupted with angry shouts.

"Well said!"

"My hens are so scared they no longer lay eggs!"

"They've eaten all of my turnip jam!"

"Destroyed my all my pillows!"

"Calm down, everybody!" bellowed Stoick, at the verge of patience. "Calm down!"

"Calm yer tits, people!" bellowed Gobber, who stood by his side. "You tellin' me losin' some turnip jam is worse than losin' yer arms or legs!?" he demanded, swinging his prostheses for emphasis. "I can't believe you'd gotten so whiny so soon!"

His scolding may have been powerful, but the crowd was still raging with complaints, desperate to let their discontent be known. And Mildew was the most daring of them all.

"And what was it that took your limbs?! Dragons!" roared the old Viking, whereupon he turned to the crowd. "How many of you have lost your limbs to these beasts?! Or your health?! Or your children?!"

"Mildew's right!"

"They can't be trusted!"

Valka mentally cursed Mildew for stirring people up, and herself for foolishness. She had been convinced that most Berkians were glad that the war was over and were willing to give dragons a chance. She should have known it was only a matter of time before riots started. She let herself be infected with optimism by Hiccup and his friends, and now came the time pay for it.

Stoick's eyes found her, and his gaze sent the shivers down her spine. The aura around him was one big call for reinforcements, with sub-calls ranging from "Save me please" to "Get the hell here and do something!"

Switching to action mode, the Dragon Lady dashed to where her husband was, turning to face the complaining villagers.

"Dragons don't mean you any harm!" she shouted. "They just don't know any better!"

Mildew was quick to oppose her. "But you DO know, I suppose," he hissed, pointing his bony finger at her – from which she instinctively backed off. "In fact, if you know dragons as well as you claim you do, you MUST have known they could turn our village into their playground! Am I wrong?"

"Hey!" yelled Stoick, towering above him. "That's my wife you're talking to!"

Valka mentally thanked her husband for the intervention – a united front was what they needed, especially dealing with malcontents like Mildew. The aura of malice around this old man was so intense it was making her stomach turn.

Mildew cowered for a split second, but his face remained that of defiance. "Exactly: your wife," he said harshly. "It is YOU who should be keeping her in line. Unless you would sacrifice your whole tribe to satisfy the whims of one woman, oh chief?"

The old man coed, the chief glared him down, and the crowd revolted.

"Right on!"

"The woman's mad!"

"This has to stop!"

Stoick was speechless, his anger momentarily dominated by disbelief. He did not expect to hear such accusations aimed at his wife, so openly and so harshly. Had they already forgotten she'd liberated them from the dragon plague? Unbelievable!

Valka felt panic rising within her. These words felt like icicles fired from all directions. She wished she was wearing her best armor right now. It might not have been enough against this kind of a weapon, but it might have given her a little comfort.

Then she saw Mildew shoot her a triumphant glare, shamelessly pleased with himself. As if he was a Queen of the Nest, and all these insults prey thrown at him by his subordinates. This commotion was music to his ears, and Valka's anxiety his tastiest snack.

The woman glared back at him, anger building up inside her. She couldn't direct it at him, she knew. She'd have given him more stones to fire at her, and this was precisely what he wanted. Thus she drew herself up and addressed the crowd.

"Look, I know you're upset! I can see why you are upset. Believe me, I agree that this situation is unacceptable. And I promise I will do everything I can to guarantee you safety. I just need time."

An acknowledgement of their rights and promise of a solution. She hoped it would calm them down, at least temporarily. And it might have, if Mildew hadn't spoken up again.

"Sure! More time for those beasts of your to destroy everything in their way! It won't be long before they burn down our houses, hunt us down, and use our bones as toothpicks!"

Valka turned to him, finally snapping. "You're going too far!"

The old man twitched, as if she'd just insulted his mother. "Too far? An axe falling from the wall almost killed my Fungus today!" he exploded. "All because of dragons fighting all over my cabbage field! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't believe one of those monsters could crush my roof tomorrow, killing me in the process!"

Valka was out of words. The old man had been a pain until now, but now he was authentically furious. Like a warrior who'd watched all his companions get slaughtered and was charging at the enemy alone, in the last, frantic attempt to defend his home. And, in the old man's mind, this might have been exactly what this whole discussion was about – a desperate attempt to prevent the destruction of everything he knew.

In this moment, Valka pitied her opponent.

"That's enough!" bellowed Stoick, coming hard between Mildew and Valka, forcing the former to take a step back. "NOBODY is going to die! If Valka said she will get these dragons under control, then she WILL get them under control! Discussion is over! Go back to your business!"

Mildew was not about to let himself be intimidated. "I'm telling you, Stoick the Vast, and I believe I'm speaking on behalf of all of us: if your wife wants to keep such dangerous pets, tell her to keep them away from the village! Or it won't be long before they trample somebody's child to death!"

With that, the old man left, surrounded by shouts of approval.

"Yeah!"

"Out with those beasts!"

"People before dragons!"

The shouts were not as loud as before, and people who let them out were starting to leave – possibly having decided that they managed to get their point across, and there was no need to bother their chief any longer. But the echo of their words still penetrated Valka's soul like ricocheting bullets.

That moment she remembered that changes require time. That century-old wound don't heal overnight. And wondered how much work was yet in front of her.

(…)

The walk back home seemed like a sail back from a lost battle, with the ship barely floating. It was clear to both the chief and his wife that they had little time to regroup and that the next strike had to be deciding – anything but a complete success in appeasing the village population would mean the banishment of dragons. And villagers will not be happy until they can carry on with their usual routine, without dragons getting in the way of everything. But how does one stop this many dragons from being… well, dragons. Valka didn't know. And feared her husband may not take it well when she tells him that.

(…)

"Val, we have to do something," said Stoick as soon as he crossed the threshold. "Dragons can't just go around doing whatever they want."

"I know, Stoick. I know," assured Valka, closing the door behind them. "I'll… I'll do my best to help them adjust."

Stoick turned back at her, his eyes flashing with so much fury it almost gave her a heart attack. "I do hope so!" he roared. "Winter is right at the corner, and we hardly have any stocks! If this chaos continues, we will all starve!"

"I KNOW, damn it!" she yelled back at him, drawing herself up. "You think I didn't hear all these people today?! That I didn't see all this chaos with my own eyes?! I'm not an idiot, Stoick! Don't treat me like one!"

That counterattack silenced him, and good it did. Seriously, how dare he attack her? Hasn't she heard enough accusation for today? Wasn't she just as frustrated as he was? A little sensitivity wouldn't hurt, Thor-damn it!

As Stoick regarded her in silence, his eyes seemed as cold as a frozen sea. And when he spoke, his voice sounded like an advancing frost. "Did you know?"

Valka blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Did you know that dragons could cause all this mayhem if we take down the Queen?" he asked, his tone dangerously chilly.

Valka faltered at this, the flame of her anger put down by winds of anxiety. Stoick had defended her when Mildew threw this accusation in her face, he let it be known she had his support. But now, in the privacy of their own house (with nobody around but unconscious Hiccup and rather confused Toothless), he had to establish the facts. And hold her accountable.

The woman bit her lip nervously. She did owe her husband an honest answer. One he was not going to like.

"I… I knew they could be confused…" she admitted reluctantly. "I mean, until now they had to follow the orders of the Queen. Now they are free to do as they please. They… they're like a tribe without a chief…"

Just as she feared, her husband exploded.

"You KNEW this could happen!" he roared at her. "Why didn't you tell us before we went to take on the Queen?!"

"Because I didn't know FOR SURE!" she shouted angrily. "What I DID know for sure was could happen if we DIDN'T stop the Queen! I'm sorry, but I thought that the constant threat of dragon raids was worse than any threat coming from hyperactive, confused and FRIENDLY dragons!"

She stared at him sharply, daring him to argue on. She was not going to hide from accusations, to refuse responsibility that was hers. But, Thor-damn it, she will not let anybody treat her like a common criminal. Not when she worked so hard to re-integrate with the human society. Not when she supported her husband the best she could. This just wasn't right.

As they stared at each other, his features softened. She could see that her words and hurt expression landed on his conscience. And it cooled her own anger down.

"I'm sorry," said Stoick, his remorse sincere. "I didn't mean to shout."

"I'm sorry too," said Valka. "I'm causing you so much trouble."

He shook his head. "It's not you I'm angry at, Val. I'm angry about my own helplessness. I so want to make Berk a perfect home for our family, but things keep going wrong. I'm sorry."

He looked so broken and vulnerable it clenched her heart.

"Oh, Stoick. It's not your fault," she said, reaching out to caress his face. "You're doing everything you can. It's me who's been neglectful, but I'll make it up to you" she assured hurriedly as he placed his hand on top of hers – a gesture that powered her up. "I'll take full responsibility for dragons. I just need some time."

At this moment, she believed herself. She didn't yet have a plan, but she was sure she could think of something. She had all the motivation in the world. She didn't know if she sounded convincing, but Stoick appreciated the effort. He pressed his cheek against his wife's palm, finding comfort in the simple act of support. It was time to let go of tension and do something productive.

Toothless, who had been observing the debate in silence until now, sensed his chance to express some solidarity with the humans. He approached the couple and gently stroked Stoick's free hand with his muzzle. The chief pet the Night Fury on the head, smiling weakly.

"Perhaps letting them live so close to humans was not a good idea," he said in resignation. "It's too much, too soon."

Valka lowered her gaze. "You may be right… but we have to learn to coexist."

Stoick sighed, moving Valka's hand off his cheek while keeping it in a gentle hold of his own hand. "Look, Val, I know how much these dragons mean to you, but try to understand: I can't risk the lives of our people. Even for you, my love," he said, looking at her apologetically. And she realized – to her utter horror – that he was scared of losing her. That she would leave with the dragons if he were to banish them. And this fear was what gave birth to his anger.

Stoick would do anything to protect Berk. He will always put the village above an individual, even if said individual is his own wife. And he needed to hear that she understood this. That she would not hate him.

Valka shook her head sadly, gently freeing her hand from Stoick's hold. She wanted to hug him right now. Let him know she would stand by him. Alas, she could not afford to be merciful just yet. There were still information she had not yet shared with him, concerns that have been bugging her for quite some time. If they were to act in Berk's best interest, Stoick had to see the full picture.

It was with heavy heart that Valka spoke up. "You don't understand. We need dragons. I am not saying this for their sake, but for the sake of Berk," she hesitated for a moment, hating herself for doing this to him. Then she looked him in the eye and delivered the news that would cast a shadow on their prospects for a peaceful future. "Stoick, I'm afraid somebody is building a dragon army."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"Back in the North I often have to free dragons from various traps," she explained. "I managed to corner some trappers, and get them to talk. Some hunt dragons for trophies. Some sell them to dragon slaying schools. But more and more of them are working for one man – Drago Bludvist. I don't know what exactly he's plotting, but the trappers seem convinced that he will free the world from the dragon plague. Just thinking about it makes me shiver."

Stoick turned pale as he listened to the revelation. "Drago Bludvist? Val, are you sure?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes, most certainly. You've hear about him?"

The chief lowered his gaze, his features twisted by a bitter grimace. "There… there was a meeting," he whispered. "A great meeting of chieftains. Not long after you disappeared. We were to discuss the dragon scourge we all faced. Into our midst came a stranger from a strange land, covered in scars and draped in a cloak of dragon skin. He carried no weapon and spoke softly, saying that he, Drago Bludvist, was a man of the people, devoted to freeing mankind from the tyranny of dragons. He claimed that he alone could control the dragons and he alone could keep us safe, if we chose to bow down and follow him. We laughed. Until he wrapped himself in his cloak and cried, 'Then see how well you do without me!'. The rooftop suddenly burst into flames, and from it, armored dragons descended, burning the hall to the ground. I… was the only one to escape."

Valka could swear her blood turned cold. "Stoick…"

The chief's gaze was absent, clouded by the memories of the past. Of the horror he survived. Of the horror he may have to re-live. "This man..." he whispered, "has no conscience, nor mercy. If what you say is true, if he really is building a dragon army…"

He didn't dare finish, but Valka understood. This might be the end of the world as they know it.

Unless they stop this madman.

When the spouses next look at each other, this is what they realize – this is no time to be worrying. They need to act.

Having regained his calm, the chief addressed his wife. "How much do you know?"

Valka tried to stop herself from shaking. Every bit of information could save their people, every smallest detail she might have acquired over the years. Alas, she could not dig out anything useful from the mine of her memories.

"Not much more, I'm afraid," she admitted. "I have seen trappers from various nations, various models of ships, and very advanced traps. That's all. I didn't even know he could control dragons. I thought he abused them, like everybody else, only on a larger scale..." as she spoke, her head was flooded with images of trapped dragons. Cages, chains and nets. Bola launchers. Desperate cries. Shattered wings. Severed limbs. And spirits that refused to be broken. "…he must be beating them into obedience" she realized. "Breeding them in captivity and abusing their young..."

Before the darkest scenarios could consume her, Stoick pulled her to focus. "Can you at least estimate where his forces are stationed?"

"Not really," she admitted. "But his area of influence is growing rapidly. It may still be years before he gets here, but when he does, we are going to need dragons to be stand a chance against him."

This much she could say with complete certainty. Regardless of how many men, ships and weapons Drago Bludvist had, it was dragons it all came down to. This was no longer a question of personal preferences. Vikings and dragons had to learn to work together, better sooner than later. Otherwise they may not survive Drago Bludvist's conquest.

In other words – Stoick and Valka's job just became hell lot harder.

They saw eye to eye on this. And it terrified them.

Stoick ran his hand across his face, pressed his back against a pillar, and lowered himself to the sitting position. Valka sighed and sat next to him on the floor. This was one big task in front of them, way bigger than anything they've imagined before. And they were at complete loss how to tackle it.

In the meantime, Toothless kept shifting his head plates, not really understanding the words spoken between the spouses, but feeling the whole spectrum of emotions that weighted them down. Fear. Anxiety. Concern for their family and flock. There was a threat on the horizon, one he wasn't aware of, but humans sensed painfully well.

It hurt him to see them like this.

Humans have freed dragons from the Queen's control. These particular humans were Hiccup's dam and sire. Whatever it was that was haunting their minds, Toothless would stand in its way.

Letting out a whine of concern, the Night Fury approached the sitting pair. He tackled Valka's hand, pushing his head underneath it. She pet him reflexively. Encouraged, he moved closer and licked her cheek. That brought a smile to her face, even earned him a slight chuckle. Proud of the achievement, Toothless directed his gaze at Stoick. The male human sighed.

"We have just ended a war. Now we have to prepare for another one."

The chief's tone was sorrowful, but by no means hopeless. An obvious sign that he has gotten over the initial shock and was starting to pull himself together.

"War is what Vikings do best," Valka remarked carelessly. "Our people will be thrilled."

"Aye. For sure," nodded Stoick without much conviction.

Vikings sure loved fighting. Just as they loved sailing, hunting, and beating other Vikings in hockey. But facing an army of brainwashed dragons controlled by a madman? It might be too much of a challenge, even for them.

Valka pet Toothless' head nervously. "Is there anything I could do to lessen the weight on your shoulders?" she asked her husband.

He sighed again and looked at her solemnly. "Can you get dragons to behave?"

"Aye. I just need some time to think. I will have a plan ready by tomorrow and start immediately."

"Can you teach our people to use dragons in battle?"

"I'll do my best."

"Good. Good," Stoick nodded and directed his gaze at the ceiling.

Valka hesitated before throwing in another remark. "I will have to keep visiting the Sanctuary too. Free as many dragons as I can. And gather information."

This had been her intention from the start. She was going to wait until Hiccup felt better to discuss her plans with Stoick, but there was no point in delaying it anymore. What might have been perceived as her whim has now become a necessity. Stoick understood it. But it wasn't easy.

"I'm afraid so," he said bluntly. T'was just another piece of bad news he had to deal with.

Valka took action and moved to kneel in front of her husband. "I won't leave you, Stoick," she said firmly. "I won't leave Berk. We may decide together how I should divide my time between here and the Sanctuary. If that will make you feel better."

"It is you I'm worried about, Val," he admitted. "I am used to the burden of chieftainship, but you? Do you think you can handle this much responsibility?"

She smiled sincerely. Wasn't her man just adorable? "For you, my dear? Anything," she chuckled.

He beamed at these words. The delight he his face radiated with loaded Valka with optimism even greater than that expressed by their son. So what if Drago Bludvist has a dragon army? They could take him any day. For what is one madman compared to the united forces of the Dragon Lady and Chief of Berk?

Surprised, but foolishly happy with the power of her conviction, Valka pushed herself closer to her husband, rubbing her face against his chest. His arm was immediately around her, pulling her close, and his cheek touching the top of her head. Toothless let out a happy growl and too pushed himself closer, hammering his head under Stoick's other arm and rubbing it against his chest. The chief pet the playful dragon, chuckling as he did. For some reason, he was childishly happy.

The carefree snuggle was disturbed by the sound of knocking. The people and dragon exchanged worried glances. There goes their moment of peace. Sighing, they got up and Valka went to the door. She concluded that, whoever it was that knocked, is an ally rather than foe – the knocking short and calm, rather than furious and impatient, which meant that the guest was not disturbed by the proximity of Cloudjumper – who most certainly rested right next to the house.

Upon opening the door, Valka found out she had been right – standing in front of the doorway was Astrid, with concern on her face and a small cauldron in her arms.

"Umh, may I?" the girl asked shyly.

Valka smiled at her. "Yes, child. Come on in," she moved aside, gesturing to the guest to come in. Astrid's expression lost its tension as she crossed the threshold – poor child must have been concerned for them. Understandable, given what happened earlier in the village.

"I brought some soup," Astrid indicated the cauldron in her arms. "For Hiccup. If it's okay. You can eat it if he can't."

"Oh, how sweet of you," Valka took the cauldron. "You made it yourself?"

"Well, yes," the girl rubbed the back of her neck. "I've thrown in some herbs that should restore his life powers."

"You are so thoughtful," Valka praised as she moved to hang the cauldron over the hearth. "Hiccup is so lucky to have a friend like you."

She could have sworn that Astrid blushed at these words.

"Yeah..." said the girl, looking aside. She then hesitated, and asked the most essential question. "How is he?"

"Same as yesterday – solid asleep," sighed Stoick, looking at his son's bed. "He does wake up every now and then, but when he does, he moans and doesn't respond."

"I see," Astrid nodded.

Valka could sense a need within the girl, restraint by the sense of decency. Astrid may have been a daring fighter, but she was also a well-raised child, with a healthy dose of respect for authorities, as well as empathy for other people's circumstances. Despite her coming to visit Hiccup every day, she still needed a signal, a clear message that it's okay to proceed.

Thus Valka came over to the girl, put an arm around her shoulder, and lead her towards Hiccup's bed. The four of them stood silently around it, taking their time to regard the sleeping boy. Their poor little Hiccup.

"It must be so hard on you," Astrid said sadly. "Your son is in coma. The village looks like a war zone. And Mildew is stirring people up."

"Yeah, that about sums it up," replied Valka. 'At least when it comes to things we may talk about in public for now'.

Astrid pushed her fringe aside, thinking nervously. "We can help," she offered. "The gang and I. Give us orders and we'll be right at it."

"Thank you, Astrid," said Valka. "I will think of you when I do have a plan."

Hearing this, Astrid became determined. "If there is no plan, we can work on it together."

Valka considered her in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. I mean, the twins will probably want to help the dragons blow everything up, and Snotlout's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but we are all Dragon Riders. We are Vikings of Berk. Solving dragon-Viking problems is our responsibility," she said with increasing confidence. "If we refuse to accept it, what does that make us? A bunch of kids who go around having fun with their overgrown pets, showing no consideration for their tribe. I don't know about others, but I think we're better than this. I certainly am. So, what do you say?"

The girl was practically glowing with patriotism right now, fired up by the intense desire to make herself useful. She seemed to have turned the crisis situation into an exciting challenge, without undermining its importance. This flame of youthful energy and initiative, combined with genuine compassion and admirable sense of duty, just might have turned out to be a receipt for miracle.

Valka smiled warmly at the girl, sincerely grateful for the input. "Thank you, Astrid. You are right. Go get all the Riders and let us meet up here. Get Gobber while you're at it. We will think of something together."

"Aye ay, Ma'am," Astrid saluted and rushed to fulfill the orders. Leaving behind an atmosphere of refreshment and hope.

"Nice girl, this Astrid," remarked Valka.

"Aye," nodded Stoick. "And strong. Skilled with the ax. Driven to success. Axel and Mist did well with this one."

"Let's see how well she did with this soup," said Valka, approaching the cauldron. The mixture was dark brown with green undertones, as well as rather thick, giving off a sharp smell. However, Valka was not the type to judge anything by its appearance. Thus she took a spoon, tasted the soup, and spat everything right back.

"Mother of Thor, what is this? Cow vomit mixed with rum?" she cried, terrified. She knew medicine was supposed to taste nasty, but this one was just outrageous. She wouldn't feed it to a pig, let alone her son.

Meanwhile Stoick did nothing to hide his amusement. "Looks like you've found yourself a worthy successor, Val," he chuckled.

Valka looked at him in indignation. Then back at the cauldron. And found herself relaxing, despite the resolve to feel offended. This was funny. And tragic. And bittersweet. And getting funnier with each passing second, though it probably shouldn't.

The line of chiefs of Berk is doomed to have bad cooks for wives.

Oh well. Cooking's not that important after all.

Meanwhile Toothless approached the cauldron, sniffed, and licked his muzzle in delight. The woman sighed and moved aside, inviting the dragon to feast, petting his neck as he slurped. At least he will benefit from Astrid's good heart.


	2. Chapter 2

"Chief, are you going to ban dragons from Berk?"

"But I love Meatlug!"

"Lady Valka, you want us to blow Mildew's house to Valhalla?"

"Everybody calm down!" bellowed Stoick at the crowd of teenagers that invaded his house. "No decisions have been made yet."

"That is why you're here," Valka went on. "This is a crisis meeting. Make yourselves as comfortable as you can, and then we will talk."

And so five young Vikings and one middle-aged Viking entered the Haddock family house. It got rather dense, but somehow everybody found a comfortable spot. The chief and his wife moved to the back of the room, where Hiccup's bed and the table stood. Snotlout tried to sit in Stoick's special chair, but an angry stare from the man was enough to make him retreat. The honorable spot was then offered to Gobber, who hesitated, but Stoick insisted – he and Valka were going to stand, to better address the crowd. The teenagers sat themselves on the edging of the floor – the twins by the staircase and the rest on the opposite side. Toothless chose to sit behind them, keeping his head close to Astrid, who pat him reassuringly. Stoick scanned them all and drew himself up. The meeting could commence.

"Alright, everybody. I think we all realize that the situation is serious. Dragons are running wild and people are running out of patience. We have to do something about it real fast, or else we'll be have to find a new home for our fire-breathing friends."

"Oh no!" gasped Fishlegs.

"Nobody's tellin' my dragon where to go!" insisted Snotlout.

"I say we blow Mildew's house to Valhalla!" urged Tuffnut.

"With Mildew inside it!" added Ruffnut cheerfully.

"Oh no, nothing this sort!" Valka scolded them. "Mildew is a very unhappy, bitter old man, and a senior villager of Berk. We do NOT want to have him as our enemy."

"But he IS our enemy," protested Ruffnut.

"Yeah! He started it!" added Tuffnut.

"Let me remind ya," Gobber spoke up, "You all were excited about gutting dragons not a month ago."

"But we changed, okay!?" protested Tuffnut.

"Yeah, now we know it's much more fun gutting WITH dragons!" said Ruffnut excitedly.

"Right! And blowing up with dragons!" her brother agreed eagerly.

"And then there's flying!" she pointed out.

"Yeah!" he agreed enthusiastically. "All this spinning and turning, ears exploding and stomachs twisting…!"

"Man, it feels like dancing with death itself!"

"Yeah! It's awesome!"

"Guys!" yelled Astrid. The twins stopped their exchange and looked at her. Seeing she had their attention, she sent a communicative glance at Hiccup's parents. They needed no further encouragement to take back control.

"Listen," started Valka. "It's great that you love dragons so much…"

"Sure we do!" said the twins in union.

"…but you need to understand that most people don't feel the way you do. And these people are the people of Berk. They must be taken into consideration," she insisted. And, since the twins did not seem to grasp the concept, added: "Unless you wish to be exiled from this island along with your dragons. Because that is what's going to happen if we don't solve this problem in a way that makes people happy. So do me a favor and be serious."

She couldn't believe she was actually defending humans. The world was coming to an end.

Luckily, that speech seemed to have put the twins in line.

"You're right. She's sorry," Tuffnut pointed his sister, who glared at him in indignation.

Valka sighed and shook her head. "Look, I know this is hard. Century-long wounds do not heal overnight. The thing is: dragons are dragons and Vikings are Vikings. There are tons of things they don't understand about each other, and that won't change just like this. Somebody has to show them the way to do it."

"But how do we do it?" asked Fishlegs worriedly.

"Tell us and we'll be right at it!" said Astrid enthusiastically.

Valka was pleased. "Thank you. This is the attitude I wanted to see."

"You can start by preventing dragons from causing more damage," offered Stoick. "And fix the damage already done, if possible. People must know that Dragon Riders feel responsible for their pets."

"So what do you want us to do?" asked Snotlout sarcastically. "Fix broken carts and wash dirty laundry?"

"Oh, that wouldn't hurt," chirped Gobber. "You boys take my tools and I supervise."

Snotlout rolled his eyes at him.

"That can be arranged later," decided Stoick. "What we need right now is food. Dragons eat everything in sight and soon there'll be nothing left for us."

Everybody nodded in agreement.

"We could teach dragons what they may and may not eat," suggested Fishlegs.

"You go ahead and I watch," said Snotlout, amused.

Meanwhile Stoick turned to his wife. "Would that be possible before Winter?" he asked, clearly expecting a negative answer.

"Some of them, maybe, but not all of them," said Valka sadly.

"No to mention, they've already eaten so much," added Gobber. "Even if they stopped now, we'd hardly have enough to last through Winter. Unless, of course, we take half the tribe to the river, feed them rum with herbs, and pour water over them until they freeze. Then we push them all into a gigantic hole and cover with snow. Good old Viking trick to save on resources. My grandpa did that with the whole family and nobody ever got hurt."

The young Vikings did not look particularly thrilled with the idea.

Stoick sighed heavily. "Blasted dragons. Why won't they go and hunt their own food?"

"Well, they are in a way," Fishlegs said shyly. "I mean, they always stole food from Berk."

Stoick glared at him angrily. The boy cowered.

Meanwhile Valka experienced a flash of enlightenment.

"Of course!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. Everybody looked at her and she radiated with joy. "Dragons can hunt. And catch fish. With a little bit of guidance they can assist the Vikings. Even if we only train a couple of dragons, they will fill our storage houses in no time."

As she explained it, she couldn't stop smiling. It seemed so obvious now. Rather than fight the current, they had to redirect it. Take advantage of the dragons' natural talents. Nobody will get hurt and everybody will be satisfied. They couldn't go wrong that way.

Her husband's concerned voice brought her back to Earth. "Really? Before the ice sets in?" he asked, a tad skeptical. The suddenly obvious solution to their problem – or part of it – seemed way too easy to be possible.

"Most certainly," assured Valka. "Even when the ice does set in, they will be able to melt it. They will be able to take us on hunting trips far away from Berk."

"This is starting to sound good," admitted the chief. He was still reluctant to allow himself the luxury of optimism, but the teens had no such reservations. Especially not the twins.

"Gosh, I can't wait to see Mildew's face when we save the whole village from starvation!" exclaimed Ruffnut.

"Yeah! Let's get to it!" agreed Tuffnut.

"Not so fast," said Stoick firmly. "We're not finished here."

"No?" the twins asked in surprise.

"Most certainly not," insisted the chief. "If dragons can provide us with food, that's great. But our problems don't end here. Dragons break into people's houses, steal their belongings, and make mess out of everything. Now, don't get me wrong," he added, sensing that he was spoiling the atmosphere, "I understand that dragons are dragons and they won't obey us just like this. But we should at very least be able to grant our people safety and privacy in their own houses. I hope you'll all agree."

Everybody shared communicative glances. Stoick did make a good point. Which meant they still had some thinking to do. And thinking isn't a Viking thing.

"I don't think they'd take the hint if we start hanging helmets on the door, neh?" offered Gobber jokingly.

"No," said Valka sadly.

"Well, there must be a hint they would take," said Stoick. "Can you think of anything?" he asked his wife.

She could, of course. She knew how to scare dragons off. And she could already imagine half of the village using this knowledge to drive dragons away for good. Or worse, drive them insane.

She scanned the room. Nobody seemed to share her concerns. They were all looking at her with utmost attention. Awaiting instructions for keeping dragons out of people's lives.

Valka sighed. She thought she understood the stakes, but she still felt like she was about to betray the dragons. Exposing their weaknesses to the tribe would be like pouring Astrid's soup down Hiccup's throat.

Valka turned to look at her comatose son. Poor little Hiccup. He was so enthusiastic about dragons. So curious. So eager to discover all of their secrets. He learned so much just observing Toothless. The bond they formed helped her regain faith in humanity.

Valka's eyes find the Night Fury. And land on the artificial tail fin.

Hiccup's doing.

Her wonderful son had crippled a dragon for life. Her clever little explorer had built a machine to kill dragons. He had been genuinely proud of himself for having shot down a dragon. He did have a sincere intention of cutting its heart out and bringing it to his father.

He told her all this. And felt awful about it. And she told him it wasn't his fault. He did what he had been taught to do. He couldn't have known it wasn't the right thing to do.

No. He could have known. If only she had been there for him. If she hadn't abandoned her family and tribe, Berk could have long since become a dragon utopia. If anybody was to blame for everything that happened up to this point, it was her.

It was herself she had to work on before she could fix anybody else.

First of all, she had to stop thinking herself the sole savior of the dragon race. She was not that special.

Next, she had to stop treating other Vikings like unworkable, retarded, malicious killers. This way of thinking was the source of all her problems.

This was not just her crazy quest against humanity. It was the Dragon Riders' mission for the entire world. And it was up to her to prepare them for it.

Valka clenched her fists as she looked up to face her students. What she was about to engage them in will not be pleasant. Certainly not for the dragons. But sometimes one had to expose his children to unpleasantness to save them from major harm. She understood it now.

"I am going to provide some training," she declared solemnly. "And I am going to need your help."

The teens looked at each other, alarmed. "You want us to train all these dragons?" asked Snotlout.

"No," said Valka firmly. "It is people who need training. And I am going to provide it myself. You will help me with the preparations," Not waiting for the message to sink in, the woman moved towards the front of the room. "I am going to need some materials. Ladies, how is your sewing?" she asked, her eyes catching Astrid and resting on Ruffnut.

"Great!" exclaimed the twins eagerly. Then Tuffnut's expression dropped. "Wait, why did you say 'ladies?'" he asked with grudge.

Valka stared at him in disbelief. "So you can sew, Tuffnut?"

"Sure!" he exclaimed. "Better than Ruffnut!"

"Ey!" exclaimed his sister in indignation. "It was me who taught you everything, you ingrate!"

He grinned at her. "When did that happen, sis? I taught myself watching you and mom!"

"Alright, that's enough," said Valka hurriedly, seeing that Ruffnut was about to punch her twin. "I believe you are both great in what you do. You are going to help me make some small sacks. Are you up to it?"

"Sure!" exclaimed the twins joyfully.

"Good," nodded Valka, happy to have their attention and enthusiasm. "Then go get some sewing equipment. We are going to need thread, needles, scissors, and cloth. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Old sacks will do."

"No problem, Ma'am!" assured Tuffnut. This was one problem off the list.

"Good. Astrid, Snotlout, you two will go pick some garlic grass. A regular floor sack per head should do for the start. Make sure to tie them tightly."

"Will do, Ma'am!" said Snotlout, giving a salute.

"You can count on us," assured Astrid.

Finally, the chief's wife turned to Fishlegs. "Fishlegs, you are going to get me a barrel of smoked eel. The barrel must be tightly closed, so that no dragon can sense it. If anybody gets in your way, tell them it's orders from the chief."

"Yes Ma'am!" said the boy.

Valka smiled to herself. The orders were distributed and the team ready to work. And when she turned to Stoick, she saw that he was beaming. He was so proud of her, of the way she took charge. And she felt like this just might work after all.

(...)

"Umh, Lady Valka?"

Fishlegs' voice distracted the chief's wife from the bag she was sewing.

All the supplies she had asked for have since been delivered, and Astrid and the twins were helping her prepare the schooling materials – numerous small bags, which they filled with garlic grass. Fishlegs and Snotlout, who could not sew, sat by and watched. Which, at least for the former, provided some time to once again think the plan over. And now concerns and doubts were forming on his face.

"Yes, Fishlegs?" Valka asked the boy. He shifted nervously on his spot.

"What if it doesn't work?" he asked worriedly. "What if we can't convince people to let the dragons stay?"

All the teens stopped working and looked at Valka. As dedicated as they were to their mission, failure was an option they had to consider. It became more and more apparent the less time they had. The Dragon Lady has already considered the issue and had an answer ready.

"Then we will keep dragons away from the village," she said, her attention coming back to the needle she held. "Find a secluded spot and make our headquarters there. Bring in those who are willing to learn. I will train you, no matter what. This much I can promise you."

The promise was not very optimistic, and did not solve all of the doubts Fishlegs had. "What if dragons don't want to leave?" he asked on. "If they don't listen to anybody now, will they obey you?"

"Not necessarily," admitted Valka. "But they will obey their own superiors. Since they lost their Alpha they have been fighting amongst themselves to establish a new order. We may use this to our advantage."

"You mean fight them?" asked Snotlout.

"Blow them to Valhalla?" suggested Tuffnut.

"No, nothing like this," said Valka firmly. "In most cases, dominance can be established by roaring and making impressive poses. By showing off."

"That's what we said," Tuffnut fired up, "show them how well we blow things up!"

"What's more impressive than a beautiful explosion?" asked Ruffnut.

Valka smirked at this. "Cloudjumper," she said confidently. "You too, Toothless," she added, as the black dragon poked her.

"And Hookfang!" exclaimed Snotlout.

"And Stormfly!" axclaimed Astrid.

"And Barf!" exclaimed Ruffnut.

"And Belch!" exclaimed Tuffnut.

"Oh, and Meatlug too!" Fishlegs exclaimed eagerly. "As far as beauty comes, that is. She's a lover, not a fighter."

Valka gave them all a confident smile. "That's great. We've got the best dragon intervention team there can be. I'm sure we will bring peace to Berk. Together."

"Yeah!" they all exclaimed.

Valka nodded. "Good. Now let's get back to work."

(...)

The following day started for the whole population of Berk at the village plaza. Dressed in armor, armed in schooling materials, powered up by reassuring smiles and glances from her husband and students, Valka stood before the crowd and spoke with all the confidence she could muster.

"Let me assure you: we, the Dragon Riders of Berk, are prepared to solve the crisis our community is facing. My students are already working on it, and I will be joining them as soon as I'm finished here. We've got no time to lose, so I'll stick to the basic instructions."

She scanned the crowd. They appeared to be interested. So far so good.

"To begin with, we have to make something clear: there is no such thing as dragon taming. Dragons are proud creatures who have their dignity and cannot be bent to your will. They are like a river. You cannot stop a river from flowing. Waters won't part because you say so. What you can do is direct the flow and benefit from it. Same with dragons – once you get to know them, you will be able to use their natural talents for your benefit."

"Tell us how to stop them from eating our stocks!" somebody demanded.

"Yeah, get to the point!" somebody else added. A few more impatient murmurs followed.

"Alright, alright," said Valka. "Here's the instructions."

She gestured for Toothless to approach her and offered him a piece of bread, which he bit.

"If a dragon takes something he's not supposed to, scratch him under the chin," she said, rubbing the Night Fury's chin for demonstration. The piece of bread fell from Toothless' jaws right into her hand. "In most cases it causes the dragon to relax his muscles. Then you can take back what's yours."

Having summed that example up, Valka took a small bag from one of the barrels that she had prepared in advance.

"Always have a small bag of dragon nip at hand," she instructed the crowd. "Dragons love rolling in it, but the smell alone is enough to make them happy and relaxed. Throw dragon nip between two fighting dragons and they will most certainly forget what they were fighting about."

She gestured for Toothless and Cloudjumper to demonstrate. The two dragons stood in battle poses and growled at each other. She loosened the string that held the bag closed and threw it between them. Both immediately dropped the act and neared themselves to the bag, smelling the bits of grass that fell out of it. And it made them really happy.

Valka smiled contently and moved to another barrel.

"For some reason, eating eel makes most dragons sick," she said, opening the barrel and taking out a smoked eel. "Take smoked eel, eels scales or eel bones and put them in the places dragons are not supposed to access. An eel hammered to the door should work. Hopefully, with time, dragons will learn to associate particular places with the scent of eel, even after eel is removed."

Then, to demonstrate the point, she threw the ell to the exact same spot she had thrown the garlic grass bag earlier. Toothless and Cloudjumper jumped away in fright.

"Follow these instructions and your problems should disappear," declared Valka, summing her presentation up. She then scanned the crowd, checking the impressions she made. Most of the villagers looked intrigued. Some still had concerns.

"What about all this damage and destruction?" somebody asked.

"Yeah, there's still some serious mess to clean around here!" somebody else added.

"The warehouses are empty!" another person yelled. Many angry yells followed.

"I was JUST getting to that," said Valka firmly. "As far as food is concerned, my students will take care of that. You don't need to worry. As for the damages caused by dragons, Fishlegs Ingerman was put in charge of the Dragon Damage Register," she gestured at Fishlegs, who waved at the crowd. "He will keep record of all incidents involving dragons on the island. If you were hurt in any way by dragons, report to Fishlegs. He will let me know and I will offer you a compensation I deem the most appropriate. However," at this point she turned dead serious, "I will have you know that I will take no responsibility for damage resulting from intentional provocation on your behalf. And don't even think of fooling me. I will know of every instance of dragon abuse on this island. And I will respond accordingly. Is that clear?"

She scanned the crowd. Some people – mostly senior villagers – seemed mildly irritated, but the vast majority nodded in acknowledgement. They understood that the alliance has to work both ways.

Valka smiled to herself. It seemed she has made a good start.

(…)

The rest of the day was filled with hard work.

Valka and Cloudjumper took it upon themselves to break the fights between dragons. Cloudjumper, being magnificent as he was, made quite an impression on all the local breeds. They understood he meant business and did their best to stay out of his way. It was only a matter of time before he taught them that they must play nice in the proximity of humans and whatever conflicts they have are to be solved away from Berk.

Meanwhile the teenagers took care of filling the warehouses. Snotlout and Hookfang did an excellent job scaring fish right into the nets of Berkian fishermen. Meanwhile the twins used Barf and Belch to spook some boards from the forest, and Stoick and Toothless herded them right into an open barn.

Nadder tails turned out to be great for ploughing, so Astrid and Stormfly demonstrated it on some unploughed fields. A rain of dragon poop afterwards provided all the necessary fertilizing. Valka claimed next year's harvest would be unlike anything this village has seen before.

Fishlegas and Meatlug travelled all around Berk, gathering reports from people and assessing the scope of damages done by dragons. If anything could be fixed right away, he informed the other Riders and they provided support. Dragons lifted heavy equipment and helped people work on heights, which sped up all the repairs.

At the end of the day, the Riders were exhausted, but it paid off. The general atmosphere has already improved a great deal. The future seemed promising.

(…)

There was one more surprise awaiting Valka before the sun set. Something her husband wanted her to see. Stoick rode Toothless and she followed on Cloudjumper. To her utter surprise, the chief landed in front of the old dragon killing arena. And appeared suspiciously smug.

"Okay," said Valka, slightly worried. "What was it that you wanted to show me?"

Stoick grinned. "Well, since we are no longer going to kill dragons, this place needs a new purpose," he gestured the arena and looked back at his wife. "What do you say for Berk Dragon Academy?"

Valka frowned. "What?"

Stoick chuckled. "You need a place to train dragon riders, right? A place not far away from home, but far enough not to bother the villagers. Better here than on some remote island, wouldn't you say?"

For a moment Valka was unable to speak. A dragon training academy. On Berk. Something she did not consider possible. Offered to her just like this. This was too good to be true.

Stoick was waiting for a response. And looking so hopeful.

Overtaken by joy, she flung herself into his arms and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said, hugging him tightly.

Stoick was stunned for a brief moment. Then he grabbed her and pulled to himself, laughing in sheer joy. She melted into his arms and he kissed her. It felt so warm and so right, They stayed like this, embraced, enjoying the moment of utmost perfection.

The spouses considered each other with looks of pure affection. Then, suddenly, Valka darted towards the arena, happy as a child on Snoggletog morning. "Come!" she called to him, bursting with excitement as she entered the ring. Stoick followed her, captivated by the energy she radiated with. So touched by his gesture, so eager to explore her new schooling ground. Seeing how happy he's made her, Stoick was proud and thrilled.

Valka retrieved two spears from the weapon magazine. She threw one at her husband, and he caught it easily. The sudden action surprised him, but not as much as the sudden smug expression on his wife's face.

"So, young man," she begun, drawing herself up in a proud pose, "you think you can challenge the Dragon Lady? I'll have you know, I am not an easy opponent."

She grinned, winking at the chief. Stoick considered her in amazement. Then, with a wide grin spreading on his face, he shifted the spear in his hands.

"I am Stoick the Vast, oh Dragon Lady," he declared, beginning to circle the arena in a slow, careless manner. "Surely you MUST have heard of me."

"Stoick the Vast? Hah!" laughed Valka, starting to walk in the pattern he set. "Once I'm through with you, you will be known as Stoick the Fast. You know why? Because you won't even last two minutes."

He laughed. "Oh, I won't even need this much time to wear you out. Twice."

She grinned. "Bring it, polar bear."

"Rawr!"

(…)

'I didn't know humans practiced mating dances.'

'Interesting…'


End file.
